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Johnson Family History
This book was compiled by Carol Johnson Peterson and her sister. "O.B. Johnson Family" Another old time family is that of O.B. Johnson. They were pioneers in the Ruthton vicinity. O.B. Johnson was born in 1851, in Denmark, and came to America in 1871. In Denmark he was a farmer, here he did many things and had much to do with the development of the town. He married Anne L.C. Young in LaCrosse. Wis., in 1872. They had two children, Oscar, born in 1873, and Alma. Anna died in 1917, and he died in 1931. Oscar married Magdalene Olsen in 1898, and Alma married Ben Martinson in 1895. Oscar and Magdalene had five children: Lester, Leroy, Ruth, Violet, and Francis. Oscar was a blacksmith, was in business, was night cop, a mailman, a fireman, worked for the school, and was on the Village Council. All the children married and moved away except Francis. He lived in Ruthton all his life. He was married and had one daughter, Berdetta. She married, had three children and lives in Chicago, 111. Francis' first wife died and he remarried and had six step-children. His wife lives in Pipestone, Minn. He spent 42 years working for the railroad and as section boss for many of them. He also had other jobs. He died in 1984. In a letter Violet wrote, she tells about her dad building a house. The bank went broke so their money for the house was gone, then he broke his leg, causing another delay. They lived in the basement and little by little the first floor was finished. The Johnsons lived in Ruthton until their deaths in 1940 and 1948. Alma Johnson married Ben Martinson in 1895. He was born in Mason City, Iowa, in 1870. His father was a railroad man and a farmer. Ben came with his family to a farm near Ruthton in 1882. Ben and Alma moved to Ruthton in 1904 where he ran a livery stable. Many times he would take salesmen to different towns with horse and a buggy. Later he went into the implement business. They had two children, Mildred, born March 8, 1899, and Merle.. Alma died in 1928. When the girls were grown Ben remarried. He died in 1955. Mildred married Alfred Andersen on Nov. 28, 1922. They had the children: Jean, Mrs. Jack Miller, Tracy, Minn.; Jack, Hutchinson, Minn.; and Douglas, Palm Desert, Calif. They all attended the Ruthton High School. Alfred had a hardware and shoe shop. Mildred worked in the Ruthton bank and a!, a bookkeeper in the elevator. Later Alfred and Mildred moved to Arlington, Minn., where she worked as the city clerk. He died there. Mildred died Feb. 26, 1987. Merle worked in several banks including the Ruthton State Bank. She married Fred Christensen and they had five children, one boy and two girls have died. Fred worked for the John Deere Company and later had an implement business in Slayton. Fred is deceased hut Merle still resides in Slayton. "My Heritage" My great-great-grandparents, on my father's side, were born in Denmark. They lived on a small farm and lived to the ripe old age of ninety-three. They died in Denmark. My great-grandfather was born in Denmark and was a great violinist. He died at the age of fifty-four. His violin was an old one and according to the date stamped on the inside of the violin, it is two hundred and twenty-seven years old. It is greatly cherished by my grandfather, Mr. O.B. Johnson, who now lives in the city of Ruthton, Minnesota. My great-grandmother was born in Denmark and came to this country in 1871 with her son and two daughters. She settled in St. Louis, Missouri where her son resided. After living in St. Louis a short time, she came to Minnesota. For a while she lived in Winona, Minn. and from there came to Pipestone county. She took up a homestead on the Northeast Quarter of Section 32 of Etna Township. School was held in her home for two terms. She sold this homestead and moved to Ruthton, Minn. While in Ruthton, she built *a home on lot four, block four, and died in this place at the age of seventy-four years and eight months. She was buried in the Ruthton cemetery. *Some of this was typed over and this is what we think it said (we being Carol and Audrey) We think our Uncle Les, in Willmar, Minn. wrote this. Sonny has had the violin since 1995. Dalby House Title: Our Old Home in Dalby, Danmark Names: H.W. Johnson Peder Johnson O.B. Johnson Karen Marie Johnson Anna F. Johnson Date: August 20, 1913 Photographer: M.P. Mikkelsen Dalby. - Telef. 55. Peter Olson Obituary Thursday, January 7, 1932 PETER OLSON DIED SUDDENLY LAST SATURDAY NIGHT Falun resident victim of heart attack while attending dance at Dunham Nite club. Funeral services yesterday. A heart attack caused the sudden death of Peter Olson, town of Daniels resident, at 11:50 p.m. last Saturday while he was attending a dance at the Dunham Nite club with his wife. Mr. Olson complained during the previous dance that the music Seemed too fast for him to keep step and after that dance had sat down to rest from his exertions. It was while sitting there that his heart stopped beating. Efforts were made to revive him when Irvin Edling, Grantsburg undertaker, walked into the place. Unaware that anything serious was wrong, he walked onto the dance floor and a few minutes later he was called, and upon examination, pronounced the man dead. Norine halted the dancers and after explaining circumstances to those present, the place was closed for the evening. Mr. Olson made his home at Falun during his residence in this section and became quite well known throughout the county in 1928 when he waged an unsuccessful campaign for the office of sheriff. He was born in Denmark and at the time of his death was 53 years, 7 months, and 29 days old. Arriving here from across the Atlantic he resided at Lignite, N.D., and at Racine. On March 18, 1913, he was married to Cora Mensing at St. Croix Falls and they made their home at Ruthton, Minn., until their removal to Falun, where Mr. Olson had engaged in the occupation of farming since 1913. He was a member of the Lutheran church. Funeral services were held yesterday afternoon from the Falun Lutheran church with Edling & Company in charge of arrangements. Interment was in Mudhen Lake cemetery. Pallbearers were P.W. Sjolander, Chas. Peterson, O.J. Evanson, Emil Fink, John Hable, H.T. Schweitzer. Those who survive his passing are his wife; a son, Ralph, 17, at home; six sisters and two brothers, Lizzie, Maggie, Nels, of Ruthton, Minn.; Christ, Norcross, Minn.; Lena, Dovan, Minn.; Tina, Tyler, Minn.; Marie, Chicago, Ill.; Christina, Denmark. FREDERIC DOCTOR PRONOUNCED DEATH OF PETE OLSON An omission in the article telling of the death of Peter Olson, Falun, last week should have stated that Dr. W.C. Andrews, Frederic, arrived at the Dunham dance hall a short time after Mr. Olson had been stricken and pronounced the man dead due to heart failure. Coroner J.B.Hanson, Siren, was also present. Other Category:Sources